Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Arizona cannot require that a person show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or a Social Security card, when registering to vote. It seems that such a requirement prevents the elderly and poor people from voting, which it may or may not actually do. I’m 70 and I got a new Social Security card not long ago which cost me nothing. Anyway, you know who such a law certainly does prevent from voting? Yeah, people who are not citizens.

Interesting that states can, and California does, require proof of citizenship before issuing a driver’s license. That is, in fact, a federal mandate which some states are resisting. I see nothing which intrinsically makes citizenship a requirement of driving a car.

Employers not only can, but are required to obtain proof of citizenship before hiring, and the feds periodically raid employers to assure that they are complying with this requirement. What is it about feeding one’s family which intrinsically requires that one be a citizen?

It would seem to me that participating in government does naturally require citizenship, but we now say that states cannot require proof of citizenship before registering people to vote.

So, to recap, we are a country which will not allow non-citizens to drive a car or work for a living, but we will allow non-citizens to vote in our elections. Is this a great nation, or what?

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About Me

I grew up in the Air Force, and served in diesel-electric submarines during the Cold War. I worked in the steel industry until it sort of died in the 80's, then in landscape management until recently, when health issues demanded retirement.

I believe government should intrude in the lives of its citizens to the minumum possible degree, but I also know that it must be big enough to
"get the job done." To me the job of government includes concepts that are usually thought of as liberal such as stringent regulation of necessary monopolies, regulating all business enough to prevent it from becoming predatory, providing necessary
comfort to citizens who are rendered destitute by calamity outside their reasonable control, and protection of our environment and natural resources.